The three frigates and two mine hunters will conduct live firings, seamanship exercises, boarding training as well as anti-aircraft exercises and mine hunting off the east coast of Jervis Bay, before sailing south to Tasmania.

Coastal mine hunters, HMA Ships Diamantina and Gascoyne, will also operate in Jervis Bay, testing crews’ abilities to search for, detect and classify mock mines. Collectively, all units will be tested on their preparedness for various warfare serials within the strict environmental and safety guidelines used within Navy.

“My ship’s company is ready to take on all the challenges of 2011. Operating in company with other ships and with the support of the Air Force, it is an exciting start to the year. It will allow us to practice our core skills to prepare us for any eventuality,” he said.

HMAS Gascoyne (photo : leftymgp)“The months of planning and the ability of each of our sailors really comes into play when you are operating 3500-tonne warships within 500 yards of each other. Life at sea can be a risky enterprise, so we train to keep our sailors prepared and safe.”

HMAS Diamantina (photo : Australian DoD)As part of the exercise, the task group will transit to various ports in Tasmania to mark Tasmanian Navy Week; the key celebrations will be held between 11-14 February.

New Zealand Army has been evaluating FN SCAR for Steyr AUG replacement (photo : DevianArt ).

The country's soldiers are about to get more killing power with a new weapon which will better the range and accuracy of the rifles used by the enemies they are likely to be fighting.

A 7.62mm marksman's rifle will be issued to each section of eight to 10 soldiers after the New Zealand Defence Force completed a study of 10 of its weapons systems, mostly small arms issued to soldiers.

Three sections make up a platoon and the army said today one soldier in each section would get the new weapon when the army decided what rifle to buy. The rest of the soldiers in the section would continue to be issued with Steyr rifles which fire a 5.56mm standard issue Nato cartridge which was limited in range, said Deputy Chief of Army, Brigadier Dave Gawn.

The new rifle would fire a more powerful cartridge with greater range and accuracy.

Brig Gawn said most hostile forces used the Russian-designed AK47, which fired a similar 7.62mm round.

"In terms of range and hitting power there is a mismatch between the 5.56mm (bullet) which has a maximum range of around 300m versus the 7.62mm which is closer to 600m."

He said giving the soldiers more powerful 5.56mm cartridges would overcome some of that difference but the new weapon would have a range of up to 1000m.The army would also replace its specialist 7.62mm sniper rifles.

About 3000 of the 13,000 Steyr rifles in the Defence Force armory would be fitted with a new sighting system, which would increase magnification from 1.5 times to four times magnification. They would also be modified to allow thermal sighting systems to be fitted.

The Steyr rifles were likely to last another 10 years before they were replaced, but Brig Gawn said it was too soon to say what calibre rifle would be adopted.

Defence Trials Mincham UAVMincham Aviation’s new unmanned aerial system is currently being trialled by Defence.Weighing 22 kg and approximately 1.3 metres long, the system is able to deploy sonobuoys traditionally used to detect submarines or for underwater research.Further development work is ongoing to allow the system to deliver different payloads as decoys, training aids and emergency supplies.

See Also :Mincham Aviation wins Defence contract for unmanned aerial systems01 November 2010DEFENCE is trialling unmanned aerial sensor delivery systems developed by a South Australian manufacturer that will help the armed forces save costs and potentially, lives.Parafield-based Mincham Aviation has designed and developed the Maritime Ranges Sensor Delivery System used to listen to the underwater noise of ships and submarines, for the Defence Materiel Organisation.

The unmanned system, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, weighs about 22kg and can deploy sensors, also known as sonobuoys weighing about 10kg, up to a distance of 15 nautical miles.

Traditionally, these sensors have been deployed by manned aircraft or ships and are used to detect anti-submarine warfare or to conduct underwater acoustic research.

The unmanned vehicles look like mini-planes, are about 1.2m wide and 1.3m long, and are made from aerospace composites.

The Navy could significantly improve the information quality and save tens of millions of dollars in ship time and make detections less hazardous using the improved technology, Mincham Aviation founder and ex-RAAF technician Darryl Mincham said.Hundreds of sonobuoys are deployed by the Australian Navy and Mincham Aviation expects a large ongoing order for these systems.

"More importantly, we are looking at exports, especially to the UK market, which use thousands of sonobuoys,'' Mr Mincham said.

The company is working with the DMO to further evolve the system to pursue other opportunities, including deploying other sensors, decoys, training aids for maritime use and other payloads for land-based applications, such as emergency supplies.

The small 15-staff firm has grown steadily in the past few years, winning a key contract to make parts for defence giant Boeing's CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

This success and plans to bring more products to market over the coming years now underpin a near $2.5 million investment in a second manufacturing facility at Edinburgh Parks.

27 Januari 2011

The army has plans for a new battalion to be equipped with multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRLs), attached to the existing Lop Buri-based Artillery Division, an army source said.Under the plan, a large number of MBRLs will be bought from the Defence Technology Institute (DTI), an organisation under the Defence Ministry.

DTI, in collaboration with the army of China, has produced a prototype DTI-1 MBRL, using technology transferred from China.

On Monday, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha visited the Artillery Division in Lop Buri where they took receipt of the first of the MBRLs developed by DTI.

MBRL systems are in wide use with the Cambodian military, which has large numbers of them.
The source said the plan ned new battalion has the support of the prime minister, who sees it as a way of boosting the army's capability.

At the hand-over ceremony, Gen Prayuth said it has been the army's wish since 1988 to have a rocket company. At present, the defence minister has approved in principle the development of MBRLs and the newly developed weapon has been tested.

Lt-Gen Thitinan Tunyasiri, the DTI director, said the MBRL prototype is very important as its technology can be use to develop a guided missile system to respond to demands from various army units.

In the near future, the DTI will proceed with other projects to build unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), signal jammers, combat auxiliary systems, and amphibious assault vehicles (AAV), to reduce reliance on imports from abroad, he said.

MANILA, Philippines - The military needs at least P42.13 billion in the next five years to upgrade its capability and implement security programs.

Military data showed P11.66 billion of the program has been allotted to the Army; P14.36 billion for the Air Force and P14.49 billion has been earmarked for the Navy.

The remaining P1.62 billion has been allocated to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters and various support units.

Senior military officials presented the data before members of the House of Representatives defense committee in a hearing held at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.

“The P42 billion (for 2012 to 2016) is a practical modest budget... it can still be adjusted,” Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said during the committee hearing.

AFP vice chief Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu said the program would involve allotting equipment to 12 Army battalions.

He said this would also entail the creation of three mechanized battalions, which will be equipped with Army fighting vehicles.

Mapagu said they are still determining which battalions would be provided with new equipment.

Mapagu, however, said this might include troops deployed in some areas in Mindanao.

The P42-billion program includes the purchase of 110 units of infantry fighting vehicles, 4,464 units of night fighting system, 8,103 units of assault rifles, 8,103 units of force protection equipment, grenade launchers, trucks, and radios for the Army.

For the Air Force, the items in the shopping list include four units of combat helicopters, four units of surface attack aircraft and lead-in fighter trainers, six units of close air support aircraft, a long-range patrol aircraft and an air surveillance radar.

For the Navy, the program seeks to acquire two offshore patrol vessels, a strategic sealift vessel, a command and control communication system, two units of multi-purpose helicopters, a bases support system, a Coast Guard watch system and an anti-bunker and tank system.

The program also aims to fund, among others, security, mobility, information and weapons systems, communication networks, rehabilitation of military structures and dental and medical equipment.

Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the House defense committee, said they would have to study the AFP medium-term capability program.

“The first thing that we will be doing is (to) identify what equipment should be acquired. Only then can we determine how much is needed to support the acquisition,” Biazon said.

“The next phase is to determine how to provide the funds and define the sources of funding,” he added.

Biazon, however, said the AFP should not include in its proposal the equipment used by civilian agencies to implement developmental projects.

“These items should not be mixed with the modernization (program) because whatever they will acquire should be determined by the requirement of providing national security and defense for the country, not agriculture,” he said.

The AFP is currently implementing Bayanihan, an internal security plan that focuses on development programs designed to attack the roots of rebellion.

26 Januari 2011

Korea Aerospace Industries has rolled out the first production T/A-50, the light-attack variant of the T-50 Golden Eagle advanced jet trainer.

The South Korean air force has ordered 22 T/A-50s for lead-in fighter and ground-attack training, says an industry source. These will be delivered by the end of 2012.

Virtually identical to the T-50, the T/A-50 (above) is equipped with a three-barrelled 20mm cannon with 200 rounds. It can also carry air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons and has an ITT EL-2032 mechanically scanned radar.

The T/A-50 has achieved weapons certification for the Raytheon AGM-65 Maverick (above) air-to-ground and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, although it is not certificated to use the latest AIM-9X variant.

In 2013, following the end of T/A-50 production, KAI hopes to transition to building its developmental F/A-50, which could begin testing in 2012. Seoul has committed to buying 60 F/A-50s and could eventually order up to 150 to replace its air force's Northrop F-5Es.

UK maintenance, repair and overhaul company Marshall Aerospace has revealed details of its bid to modernise the capabilities of Malaysia's Lockheed Martin C-130 tactical transports.

Marshall says it hosted Royal Malaysian Air Force chief of staff Gen Tan Sri Dato' Sri Rodzali bin Daud in a visit to its Cambridge airport facilities on 10 January.

The company has identified a Malaysian requirement "for an upgrade of their C-130H avionics to provide a capability to fly in CNS/ATM [communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management] airspace", says head of business development Peter Taylor.

Marshall has recently conducted an extensive avionics and cockpit upgrade on two refurbished C-130Hs for the Royal Netherlands Air Force and will perform the same work on two more Dutch aircraft. Last year it identified a possible market to offer a similar service to Hercules operators in Asia, Europe and North Africa.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force has an active fleet of 12 C-130H/H-30s and two C-130T tankers, as listed in Flightglobal's MiliCAS database. The five oldest of these entered service in 1976, it says.As well as operating its Hercules fleet, Malaysia is the lone export buyer for Airbus Military's larger A400M. Kuala Lumpur has ordered four of the European type.

A 52 person team from Singapore deployed to Afghanistan for three months in August. It is now slated to remain in country until the end of the year.(photo : Defense Update)The Singaporean troops will stay in Afghanistan until the end of 2011 supporting ISAF operations in the country. The deployments were supposed to have ended by April 2011 But Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced their mission will be extended. Since 2007 Singapore has deployed several military teams to Afghanistan, providing medical assistance, training and reconnaissance and surveillance in support of the International Security Afghanistan Force (ISAF).

Sixteen servicemen from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are likely to remain stationed there to teach Afghan soldiers to fire artillery guns and take part in coalition operations involving pilotless surveillance planes. Singapore also operates a 52-man Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)detachment operating four Singaporean IAI/Malat Searcher II UAVs are operated from Tarin Kowt, in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province. The Searchers were deployed here following the withdrawal of the Dutch contingent operating Aerostars UAVs leased from the Israeli company Aeronautics. Prior to the Singaporean mission Spanish forces also operated Searchers from Herat in Western Afghanistan.(Defense Update)

Delivering multiple launch rocket system prototype a DTI-1 to the Army

Today, Defense Institute of Technology (Public Organization) or the DTI has a ceremony to deliver multiple launch rocket system prototype a DTI-1 to the division artillery at his Army division artillery. A product derived from the transfer of technology from abroad. The master plan for missile research and development to security, the Ministry of Defence has been prepared. The Minister in the Ministry of Defence , Commander in chief, Chairman and Director of Defence Institute of Technology (ITD), Division Commander of artillery Including senior military officers from all three force Troops and artillery of the Division also attended the ceremony, which is the launch of the first tasks of the DTI as well.

Work starts with the report of Gen. Thitinan Thanya Siri, director of the DTI about the coming of the multiple launc rocket a DTI-1 which is constructed from receiving technology transfers from foreign countries. DTI's mission is to build and further development to the Thai Armed Forces stationed in the next.

Then Minister of Defense Gen. Prawit Wong Suwan, along with senior military officers ceremony to deliver the underlying did this missile system. The Minister of Defence to open the curtains to the press launch of a DTI-1 rocket publicly.

Later Air Chief Marshal Herns Pun Si Chairman of the DTI to deliver weapons to the list, the Minister of Defence to forward to Gen. Praiutht Monday Ocha commander in chief and delivered to a Major General Chamnong Sukit the Division Commander of artillery as a user.

After the military was walking multiple launch rocket system, a DTI-1, which before that, the division artillery was firing demonstration set of this missile system by missile system using the regular troops of the 711th artillery battalion that has been trained to work with this missile system. This missile system consists of two car spaces. The first car as a car packed with rocket dock rocket carried four shots of the car and another car fired a shot at the podium, which is installed with 4 shots can be fired with the fire control room in front of the car.

After receiving the target position to make a shot then. Rider will be moving to a location where fire. The vehicle will have stand number four hydraulic legs, which will press down on the floor during the fire to secure to the car.

Troops will use data from many parts of the evidence or to determine the angle shot direction angle sector to adjust the firing platform in place that can be fired accurately. Except for the coordinates of the target will be fired then. Weather information is also required to keep the ball moving a projectile rocket that runs toward the goal. The car will be on the fire control room, where troops use the computer to find the necessary values and process the evidence came out firing.

After the shooting evidence. Troops will raise more platforms in the corners and angle direction is determined out of the region. The firing platform can be upgraded to either an automatic lift, which will be controlled from the control room, shooting and hand-raised by force by aiming the camera mounted inside the vehicle.

After firing platform into the correct position and ready for firing and then. Troops regularly checks the vehicle's electrical firing platform for the last time to make sure everything is ready system. Ask permission before shooting.

The actual shooting. The ball ran to the rocket fire from the platform at speeds around Mach 5 or five times the speed of sound. And travel time to the target at a distance shot far at 180 km approximately 2 minutes of firing can be either shot pan each meeting and fired a Seeoy is set and the ball rockets an appointment with a radius of destruction was about a field football.

When shooting finished. Missiles can be loaded cars containing the new rockets and four shots within 20 minutes to be ready to shoot again In the current system rocket several barrel a DTI-1 is a general missile that is not the way the DTI project to develop navigation systems for installation with rocket a DTI-1 to increase the efficiency and accuracy in shooting a lot more.

Minister of Defense, said during an interview at one of the reporters. In the past, Thailand imported samples bent arms from abroad. This is a budget issue to a foreign country. And there are several limitations that could not supply weapons they need. Ministry of Defence has a policy to promote national defense industry by using the Institute of Defence Technology (ITD), a research agency and develop a prototype weapon systems to force to strengthen the army and the nation.

Director of Defence Institute of Technology (ITD), said the one that the defense industry is a challenging task but if done successfully. In addition, Thailand will have an opportunity to use weapons and self-produced. Technology ownership in Thailand can also make maintenance and development of weapons systems to improve their next In addition to strengthening and building self-reliance and the military. Research and development to create knowledge to improve the country's science and technology, boost economy and create jobs for the Thai.

This roll-division artillery, as the prototype implementation will be multiple launch rocket a DTI-1 to the training and trial to find flaws and make recommendations to the DTI to develop a missile system in the next version.

24 Januari 2011

The SSPH is a tracked self-propelled howitzer which fires 155mm rounds at a maximum rate of six shots per minute. (all photos : Cyberpioneer)

Amidst the unusually chilly summer this year, the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) artillery troops are certainly keeping warm as their big guns fired hot and true at the Waiouru Training Area, New Zealand.

On 22 Jan, they received a special guest as Minister of State for Defence Associate Professor Koo Tsai Kee visited the SAF troops participating in the exercise, together with the New Zealand Defence Minister Dr Wayne Mapp.

As part of their visit, both ministers observed a battalion live-firing exercise involving the Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer (SSPH), Primus. This marks the second consecutive year they are observing the exercise.

About 350 personnel from the 21st and 24th Battalion, Singapore Artillery, have been in New Zealand since 17 Jan for the annual artillery exercise codenamed Thunder Warrior.

The SSPH, which carries a 155mm artillery gun, is able to hit targets up to 30km away at a maximum firing rate of six rounds per minute.

When cyberpioneer spoke to personnel from the two units on 21 Jan, they had just spent the previous night preparing for the next day's live-firing operations.

"The men were working in low-light conditions, strong winds and nine-degree weather. Yet, they were still able to deliver accurate fire this morning," said Colonel (COL) Steven Seng. He is the Exercise Supervising Officer and Commander 3rd Division Artillery.

The TPQ36 Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) enables artillery units to pinpoint the source of “enemy” fire as well as estimate the final impact area of their firing.

"They have shown that they are able to adapt and improvise, and I'm very proud of their fighting spirit," he added.

Commanders on the ground have also been doing their part to keep morale high by taking extra measures to ensure the safety of the soldiers under their charge.

"The weather is cold and the men might not feel that they are losing water, so we have been constantly reminding everyone to hydrate themselves," said Lieutenant Colonel Chang Pin Chuan, Commanding Officer 24SA.

"SAF medics have also been told to check on the men to look out for signs of cold rash and hypothermia on a daily basis."

This year's exercise also sees the inclusion of the Ammunition Resupply Vehicles (ARV), which is used to ferry artillery rounds to various gun positions around the training area.

Based on the Bronco chassis, the ARV is able to traverse harsh and undulating terrain to deliver ammunition where required.

Previously, fresh ammunition would be ferried by wheeled vehicles such as the five-tonne transport truck, or the SSPHs would return to base in order to pick up new rounds.

"Wheeled vehicles are not as mobile as tracked vehicles out in the field. Having the ARV allows the guns to be resupplied faster," explained COL Seng.

The ARV was trialled in 2010 as part of the Thunder Warrior series of exercises. It has since been incorporated into the Singapore Artillery's operations.

Established in 1997, Exercise Thunder Warrior is an annual artillery exercise that has been held for over 10 years. Since then, the exercise has grown in complexity and size. In 1999, it became a battalion-level exercise, with a New Zealand detachment participating alongside SAF troops.

Assoc Prof Koo's visit is part of the regular ministerial exchanges between Singapore and New Zealand. The SAF and the New Zealand Defence Force interact through a wide range of bilateral and multilateral training exercises, professional exchanges and courses. The two countries are also part of the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) is set to respond swiftly to crimes occurring in Malaysian waters with the addition of six new patrol boats worth RM3.8mil.The 600hp rigid hull fender boats manufactured by a local maritime company Dalac Marine Engineering and Services Sdn Bhd are the fastest boats in the agency’s fleet of 138 vessels and helicopters nationwide.

Director-general Admiral Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish said the boats would be able to respond to maritime crimes and emergencies in half the time period it currently takes.

“The new boats will enhance the abilities of our men to combat maritime crimes nationwide as speed is an essential element in catching criminals,” he told the media after the boat handing-over ceremony here yesterday.

Admiral Mohd Amdan said the boats are capable of reaching speeds in excess of 50 knots, equivalent to 92.6kph.

Three boats would be used to ply the waters of the southern, northern and eastern regions while the remaining vessel would be for its Special Forces Unit.

Admiral Mohd Amdan added each region had crime activities unique to its location such as the northern region had more smuggling and human trafficking activities while maritime theft activities occurred in the southern area.

“Last year, we foiled 13 attempted robberies in the southern region,” he said.

He said that the number of smuggling cases in the southern region had declined from 28 cases in 2009 to 23 last year.

The Philippine Navy is in the process of acquiring its largest ship: a Hamilton class US Coast Guard cutter.

“We are negotiating for the acquisition of a US Coast Guard cutter… through the FMS or Foreign Military Sales," said Navy chief Rear Admiral Alexander Pama on Sunday.

Other details of the impending acquisition, including the price, are still being discussed, Pama said, adding that “it is in the realm of the possibility" that the ship will be acquired this year.

“Right now, we already reached the stage that we already have an understanding, meaning to say we are about to send a formal letter request," he said.

The Hamilton class cutter was the largest class of vessel in the US Coast Guard until replaced by the National Security Cutter.

Pama said the ship, once acquired, will boost the Navy’s capability, particularly in the conduct of patrol in the high seas and in search and rescue operations during disasters. It will also be the first kind in the inventory of the Navy whose modernization is being hampered by lack of funds.

The US Coast Guard introduced 12 Hamilton class cutters in the 1960s. From 1980 to 1992, these vessels were modernized under the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization, including the upgrading of the mounted gun.

Navy spokesman Capt. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said former Navy chief Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez inspected the cutter ship during a visit to the US last November. Cortez retired early this month and was replaced by Pama.

“I think it’s in the finishing stages," said Bacordo of the negotiations to acquire the ship. “We expect this to be in country maybe by first semester of 2011," he added.

Bacordo said the cutter ship will be the largest vessel in the inventory of the Navy since it is about 380 feet in length. The largest surface combatant ship of the Navy at present is the destroyer escort BRP Rajah Humabon, which is about 308 feet in length.

23 Januari 2011

KUALA LUMPUR: There was drama aplenty in the Gulf of Aden when commandos from a Royal Malaysian Navy auxilliary ship stormed and rescued a hijacked Malaysian chemical tanker and its crew from Somali pirates, early yesterday.

The Shipborne Protection Team, comprising special forces from the combined Armed Forces tri-services, swung into action from the RMN’s Bunga Mas 5.

Their swift and timely action saved the lives and limbs of the 23 crew. It also salvaged the tanker laden with lubricating oil and ethylene dichloride, all of which is believed to be worth in excess of an estimated RM30 million.

Bunga Mas 5’s effort resulted in the capture of seven Somali pirates, three of whom were injured in the ensuing gun battle with the commandos.

Relating the high drama, RMN chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar said MT Bunga Laurel, hired by the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC), was on its way from the gulf to Singapore when it was attacked by the pirates about 300 nautical miles (555km) east of Oman at 11.40pm on Thursday.

“The drama unfolded just two hours after the Bunga Mas 5 had completed escorting the tanker and another MISC liquefied natural gas carrier, MT Seri Balhaf, to a safe zone called Easton 4 in the gulf.

“This is the waypoint where we cease our escort duty,” he said.

Abdul Aziz said under the cover of darkness, seven pirates armed with AK-47 assault rifles, light machine guns and pistols suddenly emerged from a skiff boat and began boarding the tanker, firing at random.

MT Seri Balhaf was spared.RMN's Bunga Mas 5 (photo : Secure Malaysia)

“At the same time, a mother ship with 18 pirates on board began its assault on the tanker.“

The alarmed tanker crew activated the Ship Security Alert System before taking cover in a specially-designed security compartment near the vessel’s engine room,” Abdul Aziz said.

Responding to the SOS distress signal Bunga Mas 5, which was 14 nautical miles (25.9km) away, sped towards the tanker at 1.20am.

The navy’s Fennec attack helicopter went airborne to provide reconnaissance and aerial gunfire from its mounted general purpose machine gun.

“Several shots on target from the helicopter kept the pirate’s mother ship at bay. This preventive measure saved the tanker from serious damage and minimised the risk on its crew.

“Simultaneously, the commandos boarded the tanker and subdued the pirates. It was all over within minutes. There were no injuries on the Malaysians, while the three injured pirates were given first-aid,” said Abdul Aziz.

Following interrogation with the authorities, he confirmed that all seven captured pirates were Somalis who admitted that they had used one of the previously captured vessels as their mother ship.

‘What’s baffling is that they seemed to know our movements, including even the 300-nautical mile extended envelope in the gulf. They are ruthless and their threats are for real,” said Abdul Aziz.

He added all concerned were glad that the episode was over and MISC officials are believed to have cleared the tanker fit to continue its journey.

Bunga Mas 5 has a crew of 21 MISC supporting personnel and 39 Shipborne Protection Team members from the Armed Forces, specialising in various trades.

There are four teams, inclusive of six special force members, deployed for the two-day escort duty shift in the gulf under Operasi Fajar launched since June 21, 2009.

Bunga Mas 5 can escort up to three vessels at a time, including foreign ships as requested by international authorities.

The Gulf of Aden, sandwiched between Somalia and Yemen, is the main sea route between Europe and Asia where vessels ply the Suez Canal.

Two other piracy incidents also took place in the gulf and its vicinity, the last 48 hours.

South Korean navy commandos stormed the Samho Jewelrya hijacked by Somali pirates about 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) off northeast Somalia in the Indian Ocean, rescuing all the 21 crew and killing eight pirates.

The 11,500-ton ship, with eight South Koreans, two Indonesians and 11 from Myanmar was hijacked on January 15 in the Arabian Sea when it was en route to Sri Lanka from the United Arab Emirates.

In the second separate incident, pirates hijacked the Syrian-owned bulk carrier MV Khaled Muhieddine with 25 crew approximately 330 nautical miles southeast of the Omani coastal port of Salalah on Thursday night.

The Togo-flagged vessel, with a deadweight of 24,022 tonnes, was on passage from Singapore to Al Hudaydah in Yemen with 22 Syrians and three Egyptians on board.

22 Januari 2011

22 Januari 2011U-206 class of the German Navy (photo : eircom)The Royal Thai Navy wants to buy two second-hand submarines at a cost of 6-7 billion baht.A source said the navy had decided to submit the plan to the cabinet to be approved in principle.

The navy has set up a committee to conduct a feasibility study.

The specifications of the submarines have not been determined but the navy is expected to buy them from European suppliers, probably Germany.

The navy has stressed the need to acquire submarines because Thai sailors have little knowledge of submarine technology, which is constantly upgraded.

``Several neighbouring countries have submarines at their disposal. But Thai sailors have never come into contact with submarines. We are still backwards in terms of submarine technology,'' said the source.

Submarines deployment in the Pacific (image : heritage)

The navy has realised that much of the country's budget has to be spent on remedying economic woes, so it will propose buying second-hand craft.

Navy chief Kamthorn Phumhiran said the government must decide whether to allocate money for the submarines.

The project is part of a 10-year plan to streamline the armed forces.

Adm Kamthorn said there was also a need to buy a new fleet of frigates to replace ones that have been in use for 15 to 30 years. The existing ones have had to undergo repairs several times.

The plan has the backing of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who wants the armed forces to improve their capabilities in what is seen as a return of favours to the military for standing by the government in dealing with the red shirts during last year's protests.

Army, navy and air force commanders have been told to prepare their weapons procurement plans for submission to the government for approval in principle.

The source said the purchase plans proposed by the armed forces would come to an estimated 400 billion baht.